Browner determined to bring physicality to Patriots’ secondary

FOXBORO — Brandon Browner came into Wednesday’s practice on a mission to disrupt, and he set a tone from the get-go.

Mark Daniels Journal Sports Writer MarkDanielsPJ

FOXBORO — Brandon Browner came into Wednesday’s practice on a mission to disrupt, and he set a tone from the get-go.

During the first 1-on-1 drill, the cornerback got up in the face of Kenbrell Thompkins, who attempted to sprint to the left side of the end zone. Conjoined at the hips, Browner didn’t give the wide receiver a moment to breathe, never mind a chance to catch the ball, blanketing him with his long arms as Tom Brady’s pass fell incomplete.

The big cornerback could be heard letting out a loud scream with each incomplete pass that fell his way as he and Thompkins jawed at each other throughout the red-zone drill.

When the team moved the drill down the field, this time with Jimmy Garoppolo throwing, things got heated again when Browner got physical with Brandon LaFell. As wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea threw a flag at Browner for holding, the 29-year-old nearly got in the face of the coach, but was held back by Justin Green.

Browner’s fire and physical play continued all day. Although he said he hugged it out with O’Shea after the dustup, he agreed that he went into practice with a chip on his shoulder.

“[On Tuesday] we gave up a few balls,” Browner said. “You know, let some of these guys off the line a little easy yesterday, so that was my mentality going into this practice, to win my one-on-one matchups and things like that.”

Not since the days of Rodney Harrison have the Patriots had an imposing figure in the secondary. The idea of starting a physical corner like Browner opposite of an All-Pro like Darrelle Revis had many excited as the team entered training camp. On Wednesday, it became evident what someone like Browner could do later this season, following his four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

For Brady and Thompkins, Browner was a pain all day.

To put it in perspective, on Tuesday, Brady went 13-for-16 during 11-on-11 drills. On Wednesday, Brady went 8-for-19 and threw an interception to Browner, his first of training camp. The 6-foot-4 corner was on Thompkins for most of the practice. The wide receiver caught one pass in seven attempts during the full team offense vs. defense drills.

Thompkins looked visibly frustrated at times, but called Browner a “tremendous athlete” after practice and didn’t put much stock in the heated exchanges.

“It’s part of the game,” Thompkins said. “There will be fights. There will be scuffles, but at the end of the day we’re all friends. At the end of the day, we’re all teammates first and foremost, so we’re just trying to make each other better at the end of the day.”

Browner’s made it clear that he’s going to “let the chips fall where they may” in terms of his aggression this year. He doesn’t want to create penalties for the Patriots, but won’t let the NFL’s emphasis on illegal contact dictate his style of play.

It was that style of play that made Browner a 2011 Pro Bowler and a popular member of Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” secondary. That aggression was evident on Wednesday, and he hopes it’ll make the Patritos’ receivers better.

“It was a physical one, man. We had to compete out here. I’m tired of giving up balls so I had to turn it up a bit,” said Browner, who was then asked about feeding off aggression. “I think we all do. It gets us both ready. Guys on the other side of the ball, it’s what they’re going to do to guys in games. It’s what guys are going to try to do to me.”

Wednesday was the seventh day of training camp, and already players are getting tired of going up against one another. Some wide receivers are certainly tired of getting manhandled by Browner. The five-year veteran doesn’t want his teammates to hate him, but he knows he has to keep up his style of play.

“I need to be liked by my teammates. Those are the guys I’m going to go to war with,” Browner said. “But at the same time, I’m going to be aggressive with those guys. It’s going to make them guys better and I hope they bring the same fire back at me.”